Friday, January 27, 2012

Harper's Davos Talking Points

Canada is recovering well from the global recession.

change how Canadians finance their retirement.
overhaul the immigration system. (Canadians want job security. Well we won't let you indulge in the old notion of "jobs for life" - unless, of course, you run a company, are in finance or work for the Harpercons.)
make oil and gas exports to Asia a “national priority”(not climate change, clean water, Aboriginal birthright)
aggressively pursue free trade in India and Europe. (our corporate boots have already signed the contracts and you'll hear about it soon enough. Only when we find a safe place to hide when Harper reveals it center stage at a WTO or banker's forum in China).
“Western nations, in particular, face a choice of whether to create the conditions for growth and prosperity, or to risk long-term economic decline. In every decision, or failure to decide, we are choosing our future right now,” Mr. Harper said. (plagiarized from words of climate scientist Bill McKibben)
He did not spell out whether seniors will have to wait longer to receive the benefit or whether clawbacks would be increased for higher income earners. (bad news is incremental).
(or like the EI - we might just find that there are fewer staff to disburse cheques at Christmas time)
(there are more people employed looking for cheaters of EI than there are in the EI office of disbursements)

“a threat to the social programs and services that Canadians cherish.” Preserving those social programs will likely mean cuts elsewhere. (Old people are a burden and a threat to his new vision of Canada.)